Golf ball retrievers are generally adaptable for retrieving golf balls from water hazards in which the golf balls are visible. The water must be relatively clear and free of weeds, and the balls must be at rather shallow depths. A golfer must guide a golf ball retriever so as to scoop the golf ball in the cup of the device with extreme care and precise manipulation of the handle to prevent the ball from becoming covered by silt and debris or lost among sub-surface terrain. Golf balls become very difficult to see in many waterholes at depths in excess of approximately five feet. A golfer must also deal with light refraction which makes it difficult to judge the distance and position of the golf ball from the player when the ball is under water.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,482 discloses a device comprising a circular hoop of wire extending from a hollow extendable handle, the hoop containing a net wrapped about its periphery for receiving and retaining golf balls. U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,751 discloses a combination golf ball retriever and wind indicator comprising a circular hoop containing a net which is attached to the end of an extendable pole, by a swivel enabling the net to rotate freely about the axis of the pole. Both of these devices have nets that are relatively small and that require the user to have a golf ball in sight in order to remove it from a water hazard.
It would be desirable to have a device for retrieving, from a water hazard, golf balls that are not in plain view but that are known by a golfer to be in a general area.